Compassion (1)

An excellent summary of major themes for the Path.  Especially at the end touching upon the theme of arcana-smarana, or manasi-puja; the science of Discipline + Affection + Imagination to culture rich sambandha-ruci and make real progress in bhakti-yoga.  

Radha-Govinda Mandir, Alachua.  February 2023

(pictured is the wonderful Osmanthus mentioned in the class)

Raga-Pravrtti-Vaidhi-Bhakti (The Essential Formula)

Some discussion of Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila, Chapter 14.  More pastimes during Ratha-yatra

The Lord's Dancing & Feasting

A discussion on Vaisnavism as "Spiritual-World Affirming and Worldliness Denying''.  The need for local leaders to go very deep in their internal quest for realization and empowerment to serve in these spiritually extremely difficult times.  24 July 2023

Caturmasya (2023) 3.B - Building Spiritual Will by Facing the Calamity

Two voice messages, responding to questions my friends asked me about personal practice.

The first is about chanting in our own way, in our own mood and language, following personal inspiration and not just the blueprint prescribed for everyone in gerenal.

The second is about how to improve our maha-mantra japa.

Together, the two angles create a field of possibility within which daily personal practice of bhakti-yoga can find some fresh opportunity to grow in quality and substance.

Advice for Friends On Personal Practice

For 'Naga Panchami'... A discussion on the glories of Sankirtan, Ananta-Baladeva as our absolute Support, and the underground snakes that emerge when the it rains.  That is: the expunging of personal and collective shadow/anartha that is provoked by successfully invoking the descent of Grace.  Also the difference between creating an Institution or a Worship Culture after the Acarya.

Caturmasya (2023) 7.A/B - Naga-puja - Serpents & The Rain

Class at Radha-Govinda Mandir, Alachua FL, for the first day of Sri Jhulan-yatra Mahotsav and preparing for the festival of Srila Rupa Gosvami's disappearance the next day.  

This devotional path is itself a swing festival, a dance between polarities from beginning to end and eternally.  Like a river winding back and forth on its way to the Sea, may our own journey of meeting & separation bring us finally to the darshan of the Divine Couple's tender lotus feet hanging down from Their flower swing, in the rainy forest of Varshana.

The Rainy Season Swing Festival 2023

2 questions about observing sacred days and festivals, as we approach Krsna-janmastami 2023.  

Thoughts on culturing a continuity in our development of consciousness; following a thread.

This discussion follows a listening of the previous year's Janmastami class: 

https://soundcloud.com/tamalkrsna/sri-krsna-janmastami-2022?si=5a6089a08baf4d5c82a0ea0165bf502f&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Caturmasya (2023) 9.B - How to Observe Sacred Days

A talk to help prepare the heart for Radhastami

Caturmasya (2023) 10.A - Practice of the Presence of God/dess

Caturmasya is 2 months of Rainy Season and then 2 months of Autumn Season.  Literal and metaphysical.  Now, having crossed the Equinox, we are entering into Autumn - the time of clear, full lakes.  A process of Nature and Spirit in advancing; a consummation is ripening.  We shift following the lead of larger powers and come now into a time of simple-hearted prayer.  A brief discussion at the end about 5-step method for this; a verse of Vraja-vilas-stava praising the joyful Yamuna

Caturmasya (2023) 12.A - The Clear & Joyful Waters of Prayer

Answering questions about the 'shape' of the guru-parampara and Gaudiya sampradaya.  It is such a diverse cultural organism, where any mood toward Mahaprabhu or manner of worship can define a lineage or branch as long as that fits within the core conceptions - for example, those settled at the Festival of Kheturi under guidance of Jahnava Mata - and also corresponds to Mahaprabhu's own mood.   The Gaura-nagaris are one case demonstrating a doubted status of genuine Gaudiya vaisnavism.  

From there the discussion evolves into a rather elaborate consideration of Divine Eros.  On the point of sexual androgyny - Lord Caitanya's example as externally masculine in form and internally feminine in feeling, does not imply that a female practitioner culturing theo-sexuality / madhurya-bhava must have an internal masculine feeling.  The main point is that the sexual polarity of yin-yang is internalized and consecrated to God, rather than extending outward to pair with another embodied soul.  Androgyny in this sense means the pairing is inward and upward; one is not assuming a certain pole in order to pair with another person.  Their eros is wholly contained within the scope of their internal life with God.

Caturmasya (2023) 17 - Guru-Parampara Tree & "Theosexual" Orientation

My Gurudev, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Gosvami Maharaj, said the greatest expression of love and affection in the world is the giving and receiving of hari-katha (narrations of the glory of God).  But he would also tell us that  recording it or listening to recordings will cheat us of the real thing.  We cant make a personal relationship with that living, transcendental sound vibration through a mechanical device.  To imbibe the sacred wisdom and devotional sentiments which a sadhu pours out from the inner dimension of his pure heart by speaking katha, it is necessary to sit at his lotus feet.  

Moreover, we will have to sit there having offered our ears and mind and heart and life to that saintly person.  There must be a bridge of affection between us.  Then we can 'overlap' with him and his inner things will transfer to us when we listen like that, with so much faith and trust.  That is the essence of association.  "O Gurudeva, i am actually mad, insane, bewildered and powerless to sort myself out.  I lay my scrambled mind and self before you.  May your words, your pure conceptions and moods mold me and make me like you.  And O Hari-katha Prabhu, i know You are Sri Hari Himself, descending in the form of sound just to deliver me.  Please, i am opening the sanctum of my heart with these open ears and begging You to please come sit on the altar here; conquer me and control me in every way, Prabhu.  I am Yours."  

This is the secret science of proper and progressive hearing.  Bow down, give honor, and try to somehow serve  the Hari-katha Himself, the speaker of the katha, the listeners of katha, the place of katha, and the organizers who made it possible for katha and us to be together.  Without 'meeting' that sadhu and katha by deep honor and affection and submission we will only catch the material sound and the shadow of the meaning.  

How can you make a reciprocal exchange of love and honor with a computerized sound file?  The recorded sadhu cannot bathe you with his compassionate glance, and the recorded sound wave isn't comprised of the same trans-auditory nectar which flows from his lips.  Spiritual realization and mood come by personal association.  From recordings we can only get some knowledge.  

Since i am not a saint, hearing from me directly or recorded is about the same.   No question of spiritual realization or moods, this is nuts and bolts stuff - knowledge.  And knowledge has its positive utility too - so long as it is backed by eagerness to know, love and please God.  If not, then even so-called spiritual knowledge will just make us proud and derail us from the path to real happiness.  I present this information here online in hope that even one honest aspirant for true love will be somehow a little bit supported.  Out of the hundreds of millions of people atrophying in cyber-passivity, maybe some wandering pilgrim who still has a shred of will to advance themself by the necessary honest interior labor will come here and be served by these recordings.  

With so much verbiage, finally i am kind of just always saying the same things:   Repair integrity.  Allow for dark grace. Pray for real.  Make affectionate association with transcendental persons your top priority. One Love.  Sri Radhe.

For my many mistakes and faults and pride, please forgive me.  If anything i say helps, that is to the credit of my holy masters only.  To make a donation, chant
 'Hare Krishna'. 

~Sri Gadadhar-Amavasya~
28 April 2014

The Rainy Season Swing Festival 2023

Tamal Krsna Das

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